Kochi: Laity insists on removal of Cardinal Alencherry

Kochi: The Archdiocesan Protec-tion Council (APC) and For Laity Movement (Almaya Munnettam), the two organisations of priests and lay persons of Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese of Syro-Malabar Church have repeated the call for Cardinal George Alenc-herry, Major Archbishop of Syro-Malabar Church to relinquish all administrative responsibilities of the archdiocese taking moral responsibility for “breaking both laws of the land and the cannon laws” in controversial land deals.   

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Fr Sebastian Thaliyan and Fr Jose Vailikodath, convener and spokesman of the APC and Binu John Convener of Almaya Munnettam said the Cardinal must be made to find ways for compensating financial loss estimated to be `90 crore incurred due to the controversial land deal.      

Stressing on the importance of the Church regaining its moral dignity the two senior priests said the 60-odd bishops attending the synod currently on session at St. Thomas Mount in Kakkanad, would be jointly responsible if the more than 5-lakh members of the archdiocese were forced to hit the street in protest. “We expect the synod to act in a just and fair manner’ the two senior priests said. The synod is scheduled to end its 11-day session in the next two days.    

Apart from Cardinal Alencherry relinquishing his duties in the archdiocese the other key demands included an administrator with full autonomy to look after the affairs of the archdiocese and publication of probe reports on the land deal. The two groups of lay persons and priests also wanted the synod to enhance the role and power of canonical bodies like the council of priests in the administration of the archdiocese including financial deals, said Mr. Binu John.